"almost all of the postal service's losses over the last four years can be traced back to a single, artificial restriction forced onto the Post Office by the Republican-led Congress in 2006.At the very end of that year, Congress passed the Postal Accountability and Enhancement Act of 2006 (PAEA). Under PAEA, USPS was forced to "prefund its future health care benefit payments to retirees for the next 75 years in an astonishing ten-year time span" - meaning that it had to put aside billions of dollars to pay for the health benefits of employees it hasn't even hired yet, something "that no other government or private corporation is required to do."As consumer advocate Ralph Nader noted, if PAEA was never enacted, USPS would actually be facing a $1.5 billion surplus today

Bastard mailman, he will make sure the junk mail is in my mailbox before he'll try to fit my Netflix DVDs in my box. And he used to break some of the disks if he could fit them in the mailbox, or else he would place them on a shelf where anyone could take them.

skinink:Bastard mailman, he will make sure the junk mail is in my mailbox before he'll try to fit my Netflix DVDs in my box. And he used to break some of the disks if he could fit them in the mailbox, or else he would place them on a shelf where anyone could take them.

I am plagued with a rural carrier who only delivers on days he feels like it. I go a week with nothing, then get a box full of week old bills, packages, and junk mail all at once. Have complained to the postmaster who assured me that issue was taken care of...it's still happening. Sucks to order some small gadget or book on ebay and have to offer to pay more for shipping via UPS or FedEx so that I can be sure I will actually get what I ordered on time.

AbsentFriends:Eh, it's not that hard to stop at the garbage can on the way back from the mailbox.

This. The blue dumpster for recycling is on my way back from the cluster box.The PO on campus has a blue recycling bin between the boxes and the door, it is even labeled "junk mail".Your results may vary, consult your physician to see if you're healthy enough to make a side trip to the garbage, yadda yadda.

skinink:Bastard mailman, he will make sure the junk mail is in my mailbox before he'll try to fit my Netflix DVDs in my box. And he used to break some of the disks if he could fit them in the mailbox, or else he would place them on a shelf where anyone could take them.

well, that's good, because i've been looking to get some discount auto insurance and some little porcelain dolls that i can conveniently pay for on an installment plan, and maybe a coupon for $2 off of a $7 haircut.

I'm not going to give some random company my SSN, birthdate and telephone number. Name and address should be enough. Thanks for the link, though.

The bigger issue with junk mail, unsolicited calls, emails, texts and faxes is that the US government considers it all free speech. The US government recognizes corporations and other organizations as people, which means that first amendment rights are extended to them. What needs to happen is that the concept of corporate personhood needs to be abolished. Then we can get some privacy laws enacted, such as opt-in advertising.

If that results in the USPS moving to a 3 day delivery schedule, then so be it.

if i lived in the states i would have all my bills sent electronically and probably wouldn't even look at the mail before i dumped it in the trash... i guess there's the off-chance of a long-lost lover sending a letter, but how would she have my address anyways?

"almost all of the postal service's losses over the last four years can be traced back to a single, artificial restriction forced onto the Post Office by the Republican-led Congress in 2006.At the very end of that year, Congress passed the Postal Accountability and Enhancement Act of 2006 (PAEA). Under PAEA, USPS was forced to "prefund its future health care benefit payments to retirees for the next 75 years in an astonishing ten-year time span" - meaning that it had to put aside billions of dollars to pay for the health benefits of employees it hasn't even hired yet, something "that no other government or private corporation is required to do."As consumer advocate Ralph Nader noted, if PAEA was never enacted, USPS would actually be facing a $1.5 billion surplus today

Done right in one. But nobody is going to read it here who passed it in the other fourty usps threads.

"almost all of the postal service's losses over the last four years can be traced back to a single, artificial restriction forced onto the Post Office by the Republican-led Congress in 2006.At the very end of that year, Congress passed the Postal Accountability and Enhancement Act of 2006 (PAEA). Under PAEA, USPS was forced to "prefund its future health care benefit payments to retirees for the next 75 years in an astonishing ten-year time span" - meaning that it had to put aside billions of dollars to pay for the health benefits of employees it hasn't even hired yet, something "that no other government or private corporation is required to do."As consumer advocate Ralph Nader noted, if PAEA was never enacted, USPS would actually be facing a $1.5 billion surplus today

But if the GOP doesn't manage to kill the USPS all the campaign contributions from FEDEX and UPS will be for naught!

"almost all of the postal service's losses over the last four years can be traced back to a single, artificial restriction forced onto the Post Office by the Republican-led Congress in 2006.At the very end of that year, Congress passed the Postal Accountability and Enhancement Act of 2006 (PAEA). Under PAEA, USPS was forced to "prefund its future health care benefit payments to retirees for the next 75 years in an astonishing ten-year time span" - meaning that it had to put aside billions of dollars to pay for the health benefits of employees it hasn't even hired yet, something "that no other government or private corporation is required to do."As consumer advocate Ralph Nader noted, if PAEA was never enacted, USPS would actually be facing a $1.5 billion surplus today

But how can we prove government doesn't work if we don't break it first?

enik:Close 'em down. Outside of overpaid postal workers and old people that refuse to change, not one shiat will be given by anyone.

And you'll be the first to biatch when you get to pay double the shipping on whatever you order, plus fuel and location surcharges imposed by UPS and FedEx. And most USPS workers, especially the carriers, aren't exactly highly paid, especially if their temps or contract.

"almost all of the postal service's losses over the last four years can be traced back to a single, artificial restriction forced onto the Post Office by the Republican-led Congress in 2006.At the very end of that year, Congress passed the Postal Accountability and Enhancement Act of 2006 (PAEA). Under PAEA, USPS was forced to "prefund its future health care benefit payments to retirees for the next 75 years in an astonishing ten-year time span" - meaning that it had to put aside billions of dollars to pay for the health benefits of employees it hasn't even hired yet, something "that no other government or private corporation is required to do."As consumer advocate Ralph Nader noted, if PAEA was never enacted, USPS would actually be facing a $1.5 billion surplus today

The USPS has lost 12 billion SO FAR in 2012. 6 billion last year. 9 billion in 2010. Their problems go way beyond the 5 billion PAEA payment.

whither_apophis:Therion: A Manufactured 'Crisis': Congress Can Let The Post Office Save Itself Without Mass Layoffs Or Service Reductions

"almost all of the postal service's losses over the last four years can be traced back to a single, artificial restriction forced onto the Post Office by the Republican-led Congress in 2006.At the very end of that year, Congress passed the Postal Accountability and Enhancement Act of 2006 (PAEA). Under PAEA, USPS was forced to "prefund its future health care benefit payments to retirees for the next 75 years in an astonishing ten-year time span" - meaning that it had to put aside billions of dollars to pay for the health benefits of employees it hasn't even hired yet, something "that no other government or private corporation is required to do."As consumer advocate Ralph Nader noted, if PAEA was never enacted, USPS would actually be facing a $1.5 billion surplus today

But if the GOP doesn't manage to kill the USPS all the campaign contributions from FEDEX and UPS will be for naught!

Recently moved into a new apartment and the USPS charged me $35 to change the lock on the box and an additional $20 deposit for 2 keys. I was informed that i would be charged $15 per key if i did not turn them in when i move.